


But You’re Someone I Believe In

by ElricsFanfics



Series: Tales from AlterniEarth [4]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Age of Sail, Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Age of Sail, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Body Worship, Boys Kissing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fantasy, First Kiss, Flush Crush, Flushed Romance | Matesprits, Historical Fantasy, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kissing, M/M, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Partial Nudity, Past Rape/Non-con, Porrim Maryam/Kankri Vantas Moirallegiance, Sexual Slavery, Shirtless, Slavery, Smoking, Trolls, Trolls (Homestuck), Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-18 17:23:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19339102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElricsFanfics/pseuds/ElricsFanfics
Summary: Cronus’ ship docks at a port for a few days per Captain Ampora’s orders. Glad to get a break from the sea, Cronus immediately heads to one of his favourite places: a tavern. There, a young troll catches his eye.





	But You’re Someone I Believe In

Cronus didn’t mind the open seas, but his favourite part of voyages were the exotic ports they’d stop at. They always gave him a chance to relax. He’d get drunk, flirt with new people, and wake up the next night sleeping next to some lowblood he had likely paid. It was pleasant to sleep anywhere other than the constantly swaying barracks of the ship. Though sopor slime was still a luxury, sometimes Cronus could bargain for some.

The highblood stepped off the ship soon after docking. He stretched, cracking his back, and waved to his brother, Eridan. The captain had decided to linger on board for some unknown reason, but Cronus really didn’t care what he was up to. He had big plans for himself and found it pointless to get hung-up on his brother’s preferences.

“Where ya goin’, doll?” Cronus asked, noticing Porrim also heading off the ship and into town.

“I’m simply visiting my moirail. It’s one of the reasons I came on this voyage,” She replied curtly, not looking at him.

“Hey! Look at me when you speak, would ya? It’s kinda disrespectful to not. I am your superior afterall.” 

“So you keep reminding me,” The jadeblood replied through gritted teeth, stopping next to him.

Cronus pinched the bridge of his nose,

“I don’t wanna boot ya off the crew, but I might have to.”

“Don’t patronize me,” Porrim demanded flatly, “Don’t act like you care, Cronus. You’re just being an asshole for the sake of it.”

“Baby, you know I’d never!” He flashed a hurt expression, “I gotta give ya tough love, though. The Cap’s way worse than me!”

“Don’t act like you have the authority to fire me. Take up your frivolous complaints with the Captain and leave me alone.” Her voice remained calm, but an edge of annoyance persisted. Cronus opened his mouth to reply, but the words never came to him. He watched silently as Porrim continued ahead.

Though lagging behind, Cronus was still following Porrim because he was unsure where to go. Lucky for him, she entered a tavern. He grinned, at least he had found his way to a decent place.

The violetblood scanned around the town quickly. The most activity about was midbloods tending to chores. They chatted amongst themselves serenely, while nearby most lowbloods kept to themselves.

Cronus was in the middle of eyeing up a feisty oliveblood, when she caught his eye and motioned for him to approach. He smirked, placing a cigarette in his mouth, and strolling over,

“What’s a gorgeous doll like you doin’ around here?”

“Telling you kindly to stop staring,” She chirped, “It’s awfully rude.”

His expression dimmed, but he took a breath and relaxed, 

“Not quite the reaction I was expectin’, but I don’t mind. Ya shouldn‘t feel the need to bow down to a highblood.” He leaned in closer, “What the Condesce doesn’t know can hurt her.”

She sighed,

“I’m not interested. Sorry.”

“I just can’t catch a break,” Cronus sighed with feigned sadness and a dejected frown.

“It just wouldn’t work out between us,” She explained gently.

“Doesn’t have to fill a quadrant,” He reasoned, “Why do girls never like nice guys?”

“I have to go,” She interrupted his act, glancing over her shoulder.

“See ya ‘round?”

“Maybe, I’d still love to be your friend!” She grinned, waving enthusiastically as she skipped away, “My name’s Nepeta!”

“That could have gone better,” Cronus grumbled to himself.

“Couldn’t have gone any worse,” A rustblood leaning against a wall and smoking a cigarette giggled.

Cronus glared at her. He would have tried his luck with her too had it not been for his mind’s protest for alcohol. He headed into the same tavern Porrim has entered before and sat down at an empty table. He couldn’t tell where Porrim had vanished off to, but he didn’t have much time to wonder before a server approached him.

“What can I get you?”

Having previously been searching the room, Cronus’ eyes took a second to focus on the shorter troll before him. The server wore a bright red sweater despite the warmth of the season.

“You feel hot in that thing?” Cronus asked, lips curling into a smirk, “‘Cuz ya sure look it.”

“What are you implying? My moirail made this for me. She hates when I don’t wear it.”

“She? Ya moirail wouldn’t, by any chance, be Porrim Maryam, would she?”

“How do you know that?”

“Shot in the dark.” The violetblood shrugged, “She’s part of the same crew as me. Said she was vistin’ her moirail while we’re docked here. What a coincidence that that’s you.”

“Do I know you?”

“I’d like to think ya do, but probably not. I’m Cronus Ampora. My younger brother is Eridan Ampora. That strike a chord?”

“I know an Ampora no more than I know what you’re ordering,” The server huffed.

“At least tell me ya name!”

“It’s Kankri,” He added calmly.

“Sheesh!” Cronus chuckled, “Someone’s in quite the hurry!”

“My shift is almost up,” Kankri explained, “Please don’t be difficult.”

“Alright, alright,” The highblood sighed apologetically, “Some rum is good, doll.”

Kankri nodded and crossed over to the bar. With nothing else to do while he waited, Cronus stared at his ass. He was disappointed when the shorter troll went behind the bar, obscuring his view. With a practiced hand, Kankri poured Cronus’ drink and returned to him, setting it down gently.

“Call me if you need anything else.” Kankri began the walk away when Cronus called.

“Hey!”

“What?” Kankri spun around with surprise.

A smirk lit up Cronus’ face as he lowered his voice,

“Where are you goin’ after your shift?”

“Home,” The lowblood replied obtusely.

“Mind if I tag along?”

“Don’t you have a ship to get back to?”

“They can’t set sail without me. I have nothin’ to worry about. So what do ya say?”

Kankri chewed his lip for a moment, seriously contemplating the violetblood’s offer. This was more to Cronus’ surprise than his.

“What do you have in mind? Don’t lie to me,” The lowblood whispered in a panicked voice.

“It doesn’t have to go anywhere if you don’t want it to,” Cronus explained with a charismatic smile, “We can just hang out together, if that’s all you want, Kanny.”

Despite his past intrusiveness, Cronus was not eager to blow his shot with Kankri. Building up to any sort of relationship–quadrant-filling or otherwise–would be a challenge with a random stranger from a port-town, but Cronus felt he was different. He was special.

Lower lip still between his teeth, Kankri nodded,

“I’ll meet you out back in twenty minutes, okay?”

“Sure.” Cronus grinned which Kankri awkwardly attempted to mimic.

Sipping his rum and watching Kankri wait on another table or two only made Cronus grow more impatient. He threw back what little remained of his drink, set down the coin it cost him, and headed behind the tavern. He produced a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, eager to busy his restless hands. He took a deep inhale from it, seeing Kankri approach.

The lowblood flinched seeing the cigarette,

“Please put that out…”

“What? Are you triggered by smokin’?” Cronus scoffed.

“Actually, yes…” Kankri muttered, looking at the ground.

The violetblood took the cigarette from his mouth. His hand twitched with hesitation, but he decided to let it fall to the ground where he stamped it out. He cleared his throat, snapping Kankri’s attention back to him from the ashes of the cigarette.

“My hive is up here.” Kankri pointed to the flight of stairs lining the back of the building, “Rent here’s cheap when you’re employed here too.”

“Sounds like a pretty good gig for you.”

The lowblood flinched at the way he said “you”. It wasn’t intended to be malicious, but Cronus couldn’t help the condescension in his tone.

“Do you want something to drink? I don’t have any alcohol.”

“Nah.” Cronus waves dismissively as he sat down at the table while Kankri began brewing tea for himself.

Kankri squeaked in pain and Cronus shot up from his seat,

“You alright, doll?”

“Yeah,” The shorter troll replied through gritted teeth, “Just spilled some of the tea. Ugh, it’ll stain…”

“Take your sweater off, then,” The violetblood suggested.

“Let me go ch–”

“No, it’s fine,” Cronus insisted, tugging up the sides, “you’ll have to wash it anyway.”

“Please don–”

“What the fuck?” The violetblood breathed, eyes blown wide with shock.

Kankri pulled down the hem of the sweater in a flash and covered his red face with his hands as he escaped to his respiteblock.

“Kanny?” Cronus cooed, leaving against the closed door, “I know we barely know each other, but you can trust me, doll.”

He heard unsure footsteps for a few minutes before the door creaked open.

“I can explain,” Kankri sighed, sitting on the bed. His sweater was off, revealing massive scars welts wrapping around his body, “I know. They’re hideous…”

Cronus then realized how he was gawking and shut his mouth. He sat down next to Kankri, “May I?”

His fingers hovered over the smaller one’s torso before he nodded his approval.

“What happened to you?” The highblood whispered. The pads of his fingers skirted the edges of the many, broad scars.

“You may have noticed the anonymity surrounding my blood colour. I’m red. Not burgundy-red: candy-red. Because of it, I spent most of my life a slave. I’m a rarity. ‘Exotic’, as they called me…”

“They beat you?”

“Constantly.”

“I’ll find them!” Cronus declared, “I will track down whoever did this to you!”

A half-hearted smile graced Kankri’s lips, “I’m only alive today because Porrim saved me.”

He looked up from his lap and turned to Cronus, exposing the large steel hoop encircling his clavicle, “This is how they showed I was their property… Porrim couldn’t remove it, though. She only cut of the chain and warned me I would likely get an infection and fall ill if she tried to remove the rest. I didn’t want to risk it… but I can’t stand the constant reminder.”

“Are these...?” Cronus strokes a small circular scar.

“Cigarette burns? Yes. I wasn’t a troll to them… I was just another piece of flesh for them to do whatever they wanted to.”

“They beat you…”

“That wasn’t even the worst of it,” Kankri sighed, “They loved to force themselves on me or allow others to pay to do so… I was–” His throat began to choke with tears, “their whore.” He clenched his fists, tears rolling down his face and splashing against his lap.

“I’ll beat the shit outta those bastards,” Cronus growled. “You hear me, doll? I’ll get your revenge.” He wrapped an arm around Kankri’s shoulder. “And, I don’t mean to pry, but how did you end up like this?”

“Highbloods hunted down and killed my father and mother. They died martyrs, but left my younger brother and I to fend for ourselves. I have no idea where he ended up. I’ve tried countless times to find him, but… the past is so painful to dig up…”

The lowblood wiped at his eyes, smearing his face with tears. He looked up at Cronus, reading the outrage in his expression. The violetblood met his gaze and softened his face comfortingly. He leaned forward, unsure if Kankri would accept him. Half of his mind told him to go for it or he’d never get another chance. The other half begged him to halt as he would just ruin his chances and make a fool of himself. With these contradictory thoughts flooding his think pan, Cronus slowly neared Kankri.

The shorter troll embraced it and welcomed Cronus’ lips against his own. His arms wrapped around the highblood who reciprocated it.

Panting from crying and kissing, Kankri leaned back,

“That’s… my first kiss… You’re so cold…”

“Really? And that’s ya take in it?” Cronus chuckled with a smile.

“They never kissed me… but I was glad for that. I don’t think I could have survived a genuine flush…”

Dying to stay close to him, the highblood leaned forward more.

“Wait!” Kankri squeaked pushing him off.

“What’s the matter, doll? Don’t you want this?”

“After everything I just told you, this is your reaction?” Kankri started in a scold, but his tone relaxed. He couldn’t bring himself to stay angry, too overwhelmed by the ecstasy of desirable human contact.

He wrapped his arms around Cronus and curled against his chest.

“You told me this didn’t have to go anywhere,” The lowblood whispered, “Keep your word and I’ll let you stick around until you leave.”

You… want me to stay?” Cronus was taken aback but his sudden amiability, but accepted it graciously.

“I’d stay with you so much longer if I could.” He stroked Kankri’s mess of curly hair.

“You can forget everything in your past,” Cronus reassured him, “It means nothing. It doesn’t define you.”

Kankri hummed his pleasure. He tugged at Cronus’ shirt up and peppered kisses along his collarbone with no ring.

“Can I touch it?” The violetblood ventured curiously.

Kankri blushed,

“Touch what?”

“The ring,” Cronus clarified, pointing to his clavicle.

He lowblood tilted his head, easily exposing the full loop.

Before touching it, Cronus pulled his hand away. He pushed Kankri back beside him and onto his back. The smaller troll was nervous, but followed along silently despite the quivering in his limbs.

The highblood hovered over him, but knelt down and planted a kiss on his lips.

“Trust me,” He breathed as he broke the kiss. Kankri smiled unsurely, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Cronus pecked kisses on his cheek, trailing down his neck to his collarbones. He carefully traced the indent to the steel ring and gingerly placed a kiss next to it.

Kankri covered his flushed face with his hands,

“It’s hideous…”

“I don’t care,” Cronus whispered, cool breath grazing the lowblood’s hot skin.

Kankri wrapped his arms around the violetblood, tucking his head against his shoulder.

“What?!” Cronus gasped, “What’s wrong?”

“I- I’m feeling…” Kankri incoherently sobbed.

“Feeling what? What’s wrong, doll?” Cronus wrapped his arms around his companion and sat back up. He held him tightly, cooing soft words to calm him.

“Flushed…” Kankri mumbled through tears.

Though Cronus’ shirt was being soaked by tears, he didn’t care. He held the lowblood back to look him in his wet eyes.

“Me too,” He whispered truthfully.

Kankri grinned, still weeping loudly.

**Author's Note:**

> Did this come across as cute and romantic or creepy? Please tell me! The goal was romantic, but with the barren love-life I have, who knows?!


End file.
